Whether you are majoring or earning a certificate in Jewish Studies, studying abroad can enrich your educational experiences. Study abroad will help you understand the discipline of Jewish Studies more thoroughly; because like many other disciplines, it is continually influenced by ideas and practices from all over the world.
As a Jewish Studies student, you can study abroad during almost any semester in your college career, but there are some important facts to consider. The information below will help in your planning and conversations with a Jewish Studies advisor.
Prospective Jewish Studies Students
Study abroad can fit in well with a Jewish Studies major or certificate program. Speak to the Jewish Studies advisor early on so you can make sure to plan your courses well.
Attend the Study Abroad Fair to have an idea of what programs may be available to you, and meet with advisors at IAP to learn more about your study abroad program options.
The more complex and/or ambitious your Jewish Studies undergraduate program, such as, the number of additional majors or certificates, athletic or other heavy extracurricular involvement or leadership opportunities, doing honors, doing research, and applying for limited enrollment Colleges, the more important advance planning will be to allow a study abroad experience.
Jewish Studies Course Considerations Abroad
Jewish Studies offers twelve different topic courses that can be equivalent to study abroad courses. These topic courses will allow you to fulfill breadth requirements. The Jewish Studies advisor will review any course from abroad that you think is an equivalent to Jewish Studies and determine if one of these twelve topic courses can be assigned. The topic courses range in level from Elementary through Advanced and cover topics such as Literature, Philosophy and the Arts; History and Social Sciences; and Pre-Modern Jewish Civilization.
Most students who study abroad in Israel take intensive Hebrew language courses, and receive the equivalent of one semester of Modern Hebrew at UW-Madison for each intensive Hebrew course taken. This can be very helpful for majors who need to take intermediate level Hebrew courses.
Mapping Your Study Abroad Experience as a Jewish Studies Major or Certificate
Freshman Year
Freshmen can study abroad during winter intersession or summer terms.
Sophomore Year
Sophomores can study abroad during second semester if you have declared your major and carefully planned out your courses with your advisor.
Junior Year
This is the most popular year to do a study abroad as a Jewish Studies major or certificate student. Be sure to plan out your courses carefully with your advisor.
Senior Year
During your senior year it would be best to study abroad during fall semester, since you need to take the capstone and directed study during the spring semester.
Questions to Ask
To Ask your Academic Advisor
- What classes must I complete for my degree (breadth/depth, major requirements, etc.)?
- Do I need to be on UW-Madison’s campus for any courses in my major?
- How many elective do I have outside of my major?
To Ask your Study Abroad Advisor
- What classes can I take abroad?
- How and when do I select courses for my program?
- When will I know course equivalents for my program?
- What is the class structure like abroad?
Identifying Programs That are Right for You
While the following programs seem to be most popular among our majors and certificates, feel free to explore all your options within IAP and find the program that best fits your interests!
Czech Republic: CET Central European Studies & Jewish Studies in Prague
Czech Republic: CIEE Central European Studies in Prague
Denmark: Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS)
Israel: Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Israel: University of Haifa
Israel: Tel Aviv University
Search all IAP programs
Research all programs using the IAP Program Search page. The above is not an exhaustive list of all programs. There may be other programs that are a better fit for your individual needs or interests.